


Goodnight, Moon

by Ford_Ye_Fiji



Series: The Adventures of the BFG and the Boy with the Scarlet Jacket [2]
Category: The BFG (2016)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Gen, One Shot, Sadness, The OC is the boy with the red jacket, back story, i gave the little boy a name, oliver twist stuff, vague background child abuse, victorian child labor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-19 23:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11324142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ford_Ye_Fiji/pseuds/Ford_Ye_Fiji
Summary: The BFG and the boy with the red jacket meet for the first time.





	Goodnight, Moon

**Author's Note:**

> The second chapter to this will probably be late! I'm on a 2 week road trip across the USA so, yeah. Who knows when I'll have time to write? 
> 
> Also, the title was completely random.

Hugh Edward Miller sighed and scuffed the soles of his shoes against the cobblestone listlessly. Hugh, or Edward as he liked to be called, had ended up like Oliver Twist, out on the streets begging and stealing in an attempt to stay alive. However, kind Mr. Brownlow's didn't seem to exist in real life. Mr. Butterfield at the orphanage quite preferred to send them off on their way with Mr. Jones to clean chimneys.

No one noticed, or cared about, the small troop of boys covered with soot and carrying the oversized brushes trudging along the streets.

As much as Ed had hated the claustrophobic, difficult, and dangerous job of cleaning chimneys, he detested the uncertainty of begging more. He knew he wasn't a particularly pretty child, especially with dirt and soot covering him from head to toe, and he knew he was big for his age. Something that further cemented the frightening deadline when Mr. Jones and Mr. Butterfield would realize he'd outlasted his usefulness.

That line had been crossed three days ago, and Ed was very hungry, and wet and cold too. His beautiful red jacket, the one item he had left from his parents, and the one thing of his that he'd managed to hide from Mr. Butterfield, could only do so much against the dull relentless drizzle that held London in its icy foggy grip.

Edward sighed and poked his head out of the damp alcove in the alley he'd managed to sequester himself away in. He frowned at the dark sky, the grey gloomy clouds, and the impenetrable fog obscuring the bright night sky. At least, even if he was hungry, tired, and cold, he could've enjoyed the lovely view of twinkling stars. Unfortunately, the pale shadow of the moon cast only a little light through the grasping darkness and ominous clouds.

He sighed and rubbed his hands together hoping to generate warmth. All he did was make his right hand slimy from the slick moss stuck to the stone his left had been gripping.

Ed huffed and pulled his jacket tighter, hoping to fall asleep soon and end his misery until the morning.

Maybe he fell asleep, maybe he didn't... He could never quite remember afterwards if he had. All he knew was that, something thumped loudly and startled him to complete awareness. He held his breath and waited, eyes white and wide, heart thudding painfully against his ribcage.

All was disturbingly quiet.

Slowly, the little lost boy turned and peered out into the street. Ed froze, hair raising and mouth opening with horror and fascination. A sandaled foot, the size of two carriages, and attached to a leg and body of equal largess, took a step down the street. The same thump noise happened again.

Ed watched the giant, that had to be a giant, pad softly down the road. Was this truly what he was seeing? Or was this some mirage brought on by too little food and not enough sleep? The cloaked figure paused, the cloth of the hood moving slightly. A horse-drawn carriage clattered down an alley and Edward put a slim hand to his mouth. Would the giant person be discovered?

No, with a skillful swing of the coal black cape, he pressed himself into the shadows, and the giant was suddenly nearly invisible against the brick of the house where the light of the gas lamp didn't reach. The boy watched with awe and admiration as the horse trotted right past the undetectable giant with hardly a whinny.

As soon as it was out of sight, the giant unfolded himself and continued walking. Ed laughed with delight and then clapped a hand over his mouth as the giant paused. The hood moved again and then he turned. Ed gasped and scuttled backwards quickly but it was too late. A massive hand reached down into the alley, fingers trailing along the sides in search of him.

Ed squeaked and ran out on his worn worthless boots, knowing he was cornered. Edward dashed across the street hoping he could get away in time, but just as he sped around the corner, the light of a tavern gleaming off the wet puddles, the hand of the giant grabbed him. The boy screamed before he was swiftly ducked into the deep pocket of the giant.

The giant moved away, quickly, vanishing off into the dark cold night.

A single person peered out of the tavern door to investigate the scream. But seeing nothing, he shrugged and wandered back inside.

Ed tugged on the cloth, but the opening loomed above him, far out of his reach. The boy fell back in the cavernous folds of coarse brown cloth, staring morosely at the glimpse of sky far above him.

Even if he was going to be eaten and have his bones ground into bread soon, he couldn't say his situation had changed all that much from the dreary hopelessness he'd experienced just a few minutes before.


End file.
